Morning recap: US Visa bond policy, fake agency scandal, 2027 politics dominate top stories

The Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, Adeniyi Adeyemi, denied responsibility for creating the agency and requested to testify before a House of Representatives panel. The United States has made its visa bond program permanent for travelers from Nigeria and 49 other countries, requiring them to pay a $20,000 refundable bond before applying for certain U.S. visas.

The Federal Government prohibited ministries, departments, and agencies from awarding contracts without proper budgetary approval and cash backing. The National Youth Service Corps released new guidelines for prospective corps members, warning them against traveling at night and outlining registration requirements. In a political development, a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party aligned with Nyesom Wike claimed the listing of its presidential candidate by INEC ended doubts about its participation in the 2027 presidential election.